"You've got a supportive family there darling, keep them close," she told 10-year-old Jackaranda, aka Jack Khan, as he sat front and centre in the Spiegeltent audience.

Carlotta, in town for her cabaret show, got wind of her No. 1 fan through the Mercury story about Jack's love of drag, and didn't hesitate in arranging a special private meeting in her dressing room before the show.

Jackaranda told the Mercury it was "the best night of my life".

"It was so exciting. I had so much fun, she is so talented, it was amazing," the Mt Ousley Public School student said after the show, adding Carlotta's dressing room was a little underwhelming for such a star.

"She was so nice, did you see she gave me feathers? And a signed tea towel."

Jack attended the cabaret show in full drag, his make-up and styling done with the help of other Wollongong drag queens who have taken the budding star under their wing.

During her show, Carlotta called for some scissors to be brought onto the stage, cut off part of her feathers, and shared it with a gushing Jackaranda.

She told him to hold his mum dear, reminding the audience life as a drag queen hasn't always been easy.

"No darling, I didn't have the support of my family, no support, you'll have to read my book one day," she said.

Carlotta began her showbiz career as an original member of the long-running Les Girls cabaret show in Sydney's Kings Cross in 1963.

Born Richard Byron before undergoing gender-reassignment surgery in 1972, Carlotta's change caused much publicity in Australia.

Since then, Carlotta's life has been a whirl of feathers and sequins with regular appearances on television and stage performances all over the country.

Her life was the inspiration for the hit movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

You can watch Jack's career evolve by checking him out on his instagram page Jackaranda which is closely monitored by his mum.